what do you guys use to feed the deer with, do you have food plots or just a dry mix, or what

Peedee

February 6, 2007, 08:16 PM

In our club in Georgia we have been planting Pennington Fall Mix in the food plots - the are not year round plots as they die in late spring - I usually call them "kill plots" as we plant them to draw the deer. Next month I am planting one of my plots in Durana clover - reading good things about this - some plots here in Georgia are 7 years old. They stand up to heavy grazing, you only have to mow them a couple times a year and fertilize once. If it works out we will do more plots. We also put out feeders with corn and suppliments but have to remove them before season as baiting in not alowed here.

Greybeard

February 6, 2007, 08:19 PM

Most common in Tejas is corn. Avg. $4 to $5 for 40 to 50 pound bag.

This time of year (deer season recently over) winter wheat fields typically productive.

rantingredneck

February 6, 2007, 08:20 PM

We use plain corn or corn with the molasses type mineral supplements poured over. Also some mineral salt blocks.

I've tried the "Deer Chow" type stuff and it is crap. The package says it won't mold. I say BS I've seen it mold within 3 days of putting it out. A guy I hunt with said I just needed to mix corn with it to get the deer used to it. I say I'll just use corn.

deerslayer79

February 6, 2007, 08:38 PM

for a dry mix I use corn or corn mixed with a additive like feeder fire ect..I also plant 6 foodplots between a 1/2 to a 1 1/5 acres.I usually plant annuals although durana clover kicks ass,but I plant ironclay cow peas,deer eat the hell out of them,which last until the 3rd week of Oct. or a heavy frost,also besides the corn and soybeans we harvest I take roundup ready corn on 36in rows and leave it standing.for winter I have my 3 favorite,sothern states winter oats by themselves or I mix them with austrian winter peas which
I found out that it is better to plant along with the oats because by themselves deer will eat them faster than they can grow,and finally I plant regular old purpletop turnips,after a frost deer will eat them like candy.try them out but you may get more ideas from these fellars on the forum who have some awesome ideas also.

zpurdy

February 6, 2007, 09:00 PM

i don't really havea space large enough for a decent food plot because we use our fields for the cattle to graze, but i could put out some stuff in a 60x60 space if i wanted to try but i'm not sure how it would handle the brush. but i can set out dry mixes, corn, and salt blocks, just wondering what you guys put out

Art Eatman

February 7, 2007, 11:59 AM

I've been using the clock feeders made by SpinCast of San Antonio, Texas. (There are many others; Google "wildlife feeders".)

Solar powered battery charger; computer chip controls for the number of feedings, length of feeding spray, and time of day. About $150. For the "brain box". It spins the grain out in a 20-foot circle.

You can easily make your own deal with any sort of 30- to 55-gallon drum and tripod legs. I have one at my house for year-around scattering of hen-scratch for dove and quail.

Critters quickly learn about what time the feeder will spin. They'll start coming in a few minutes ahead of time and then head for their "welfare checks". With deer, it's mostly the does who show up; the bucks hang back in the brush waiting for Sweet Thing to come back and play...

Art

BIGR

February 7, 2007, 08:33 PM

We plant corn, winter rye, clover and feed corn in the feeders on a timer.

auburnboattail

February 7, 2007, 08:58 PM

On my farm "bait" is/are my crops. The deer eat my corn, beans, apples, berries and sunflowers. I have acre garden and had to put a fence to keep them out of veggies.

Jseime

February 7, 2007, 10:00 PM

We dont generally bait deer it seems more than might be necessary around my parts. We will go check piles of grain if someone ran out of bins and had to pile everything on the ground but thats about it.

Desertfox

February 7, 2007, 10:44 PM

I mix corn and 20percent protein pellets in my slinger feeder. I feed year round but durning Oct-Dec I only use corn. The deer need the protein in the later winter and during berthing months. I also started putting Trophy Rock mineral licks out. The deer took to it fast. The hogs tear it up. I don't know why because the hogs never touched the salt / mineral licks before.

There are already food plots on our lease from my buddies. Different clovers and we plant winter wheat along the fence rows every fall. It seems to work and the deer stay on the lease year round. I know not all of them stay but there is deer activity year round. We just about have the hogs killed off but that may prove to be impossible.